1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to agricultural machines such as combines, forage harvesters, windrowers, harvesting machines, crop preparation machines, tractors, and implements, and, more particularly, to an agricultural machine and attachment combination having a wireless connection between the agricultural machine and the attachment allowing for transmission of both electronic communication and electric power.
2. Description of the Related Art
An agricultural harvester known as a “combine” is historically termed such because it combines multiple harvesting functions with a single harvesting unit, such as picking, threshing, separating and cleaning. A combine includes a header which removes the crop from a field, and a feeder housing which transports the crop matter into a threshing rotor. The threshing rotor rotates within a perforated housing, which may be in the form of adjustable concaves, and performs a threshing operation on the crop to remove the grain. Once the grain is threshed it falls through perforations in the concaves and is transported to a grain pan. From the grain pan the grain is cleaned using a cleaning system, and is then transported to a grain tank onboard the combine. The cleaning system includes a cleaning fan which blows air through oscillating sieves in order to discharge chaff and other debris toward the rear of the combine. Non-grain crop material such as straw from the threshing section proceeds through a straw chopper and out of the rear of the combine. When the grain tank becomes full, the combine is positioned adjacent a vehicle into which the grain is to be unloaded, such as a semi-trailer, gravity box, straight truck, or the like, and an unloading system on the combine is actuated to transfer the grain into the vehicle.
Combines use various types of headers for various types of crops, and the header is often detached from the combine, either to change header types, or simply to allow the combine to travel on road. These headers have various actuators, motors, sensors, and/or controllers used to perform the functions of the header. In order to provide electrical communication between the combine and the header, it is known to use a connector arrangement between the two, which provides electrical contact in order to transmit electronic information and/or electrical power. Such connector arrangements tend to be susceptible to breakage, wear, and failure due to contamination. Particularly, it is common for the connector arrangement to be forgotten by an operator when the header is detached from the combine, so that the components of the connector arrangement are damaged when the combine is moved away from the header. Repair and/or replacement of these components can be time consuming and costly, both in terms of repair costs and in terms of downtime.
Other agricultural machines such as forage harvesters, windrowers, harvesting machines, and crop preparation machines also have connector arrangements between the agricultural machine and attachments such as headers, which connector arrangements are also susceptible to breakage, wear, and failure due to contamination or due to being forgotten when the attachment is removed from the agricultural machine. Furthermore, agricultural tractors and towed agricultural implements have connector arrangements with similar vulnerabilities.
It is further known to provide wireless communication between an agricultural machine and its attachment, such as between a combine and its header. However, such wireless connections typically use electromagnetic communication, such as radio, which are susceptible to interference or cross-talk. These known forms of wireless communication between an agricultural machine and its attachment are particularly unsuitable for conditions in which more than one agricultural machine is used in a given area. Under these circumstances, the agricultural machines may communicate with an attachment connected to another agricultural machine, so that incorrect information is communicated between the agricultural machines and attachments.
What is needed is a way to provide electrical communication for the transmission of electronic information and/or electrical power between a combine and its header, or between any agricultural machine and its attachment, or between agricultural tractors and towed agricultural implements, without the attendant susceptibility to breakage, wear, and failure due to contamination associated with known connector arrangements, and without the attendant susceptibility to interference and cross-talk associated with known wireless connections between agricultural machines and attachments.